Thousands of Victorians who use the city loop to get to and from work every day will be safer and more secure following vital upgrades to be undertaken by the Andrews Government.

Minister for Public Transport, Jacinta Allan, today announced better trespasser detection and fire prevention systems will be installed in the four underground tunnels and three underground stations.

This will include state-of-the-art intruder detection technology, along with CCTV cameras, alarms and platform barriers. This will not only help save lives, it will also reduce major delays caused by loop shutdowns while reports of trespassers are investigated.

“This investment will make the city loop safer and more secure for the thousands of Victorians who use it every day.” Minister for Public Transport Jacinta Allan said.

“The works will ensure passengers can get to work on time, and home safe and sound again at the end of the day.”

Sprinkler systems in Melbourne Central, Parliament and Flagstaff stations will be upgraded, and a smoke management system will be installed to keep passengers safe in the event of a fire.

“This is the vital safety upgrade that the city loop needs now, while we get on with the project that the city loop needs for the future Melbourne Metro Rail.” Ms. Allan said.

The 2012 Victorian Ombudsman’s report into rail safety in the city loop recommended these safety improvements.

The $134 Million safety and security upgrade will take place over the next three years, and make the city loop safer for the 130,000 passengers that use it every day.

Its part of the broader investment the State Government is making in the heart of Melbourne’s rail system.

The $11 Billion dollar Melbourne Metro Rail Project will unlock the congestion in heart of the network by building a new cross-city tunnel, with new CBD stations connected directly to the city loop.

Railway Station Platforms Barriers

Security measures such as CCTV cameras, alarms, sprinkler systems are very important for City Loop Passengers.

However the need to introduce Platform Barriers complete with Chinese Speaking People Pushers as if Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland are an outpost of China are highly insulting and totally unnecessary.

Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney does not have a combined population of 60 Million People and what is being fed to us are lies.

The need to close the Newcastle Railway Line in New South Wales has been justified on lies from start to finish.

The Baird Government in New South Wales is going to shutdown two major Railway Lines for 6-12 months to retro fit platforms with fences when many suburbs in Sydney do not have Railway Lines at all and are condemned to using Toll Roads that were too narrow on the day they were opened.

Newcastle Railway Line destroyed by Premier Mike Baird on a deal

Epping-Chatswood Railway Line

In the case of the Epping-Chatswood Line, the line opened in 2008 with perfectly levelled and straight platforms.

Bankstown Railway Line

In the case of the Bankstown Line, there is no reason why two extra tracks cannot be built with new railway stations that has perfectly levelled and straight platforms.

On top of this the Bankstown Line is not going to have extra tracks laid between Bankstown and Cabramatta on the Southern Line where population growth in Liverpool is outstripping the ability of roads and railway lines to cope.

What is going on by the Baird Government is not planning. This is simply deal making and Sydney is suffering as a result.

Governments are there to build new Heavy Rail Tracks and expand Rail Networks. Governments are not there to make ordinary Australians feel like they are outcasts in their own country.

High Speed Rail (aka Japan’s Bullet Train) that operates at speeds of 515 km/h is what every Capital City including Hobart needs.

Every Capital City does not need supposedly ‘Fast Trains’ to Airports just so that we are all forced to continue to have to catch a Plane and have no choice about which mode of travel that we want to travel on.

If Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney were as far apart as Newcastle, Sydney and Wollongong and had combined populations of 60 Million people that would be a different story.

However Australia does not need Foreign Countries or Interests telling us what we should and should not do in Transport Policy.